by Sarah Erber
Rough hands roam over my lower back.
I pull away. I have been here too long.
Far too long.
If word reaches Herald about my running away, my family might pay the price. “I-I have to go before Herald realizes I’m here.” The blood drips from my fingertips. It is real. All of it is real. I’m not crazy. I shake the dizzy spell away. “He’ll start hurting my family if he finds out I came here.” I do not know if the king will allow me to depart again. I try edging around him, but his warm hand clamps over my arm. “I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have come here. I-I just needed to be sure.”
The king tilts his head and scans my eyes. “And now, what do you think? Am I really such a monster?”
I feel another pain in my heart. Sorrow. I hate it.
“There’s also something you need to know about me, Temptation.” His eyes abandon my own and examine my hand. His arched nail traces the lines of the henna tattoo. “I sent those goblins to save your life the day you died.”
I blink. “What?”
The king stands behind me and runs his hands along my arms. “Do you remember the day when the accident happened?”
“Halloween.” I stare out of the cavern. Do not cry. Do not cry.
“Yes. Halloween. It’s the only time my goblins can leave Rosewood.”
“But I’ve seen goblins long after Halloween.”
“True, but those are a different kind of species and are not under my control. Haven’t you noticed the goblins of Rosewood have more of a conscience than ordinary goblins?”
I nod. The Rosewood goblins possess more human qualities in them than regular goblins.
“I sent them to find an older teenage girl near death. You see, goblins can sense when someone is going to die. My goblins were in the woods near the highway where you crashed. They pulled you out of the car and gave you a, well I guess you humans call it a potion, to help heal you, but also make it so you can see us permanently. I even sent Mr. Peters to talk the Blares into persuading your uncle and aunt into moving here.”
I swivel to face the king, but he does not slacken his grip. “Your goblins saved me?”
He smiles. I do not.
“I wish they would’ve left me for dead! I don’t want to live!”
“Temptation–”
“No! I want everyone to leave me alone.” I twist, forcing the king to release me. Sprinting out of the cave, I hear the king cursing his own actions. I dash to the wall. The king calls out for the goblins. The wind picks up and the trees bend inward. The goblins close in from behind. My hands clutch the top of the wall and I climb over. The goblins stop and pant for breath. I return to the main road, ignoring the hellish shouts from behind.
****
The sun vanishes by the time I step onto my street. The night comforts me. Bugs buzz around in the streetlights. Eerie laughter of children fills the air. Motorcycle engines rev off in the distance. “Oh no,” I mutter as I start to run and hide in the forest.
The motorcycles circle me and Craven, the leader, snatches my arm and yanks me onto the bike as if I weigh the same as a ragdoll. The bike lurches forward and I grasp his waist so not to roll off. Terror motivates me to bury my face against the back of his jacket. The wind chills my skin.
“Be very careful, Temptation. Your time is running out. Jenkins will never allow you leave.”
Lifting my face, I speak to the back of his head. “You told me to leave Rosewood the first time I met you.”
“Yes, but you’ve captured Jenkins’ attention, so you can’t escape. Beware their girlfriend, Victoria. She’s a nasty piece of work and is desperately trying to get rid of you before the Halloween Mask Ball.”
“Gods, what is it with this town and that Ball?”
Craven does not answer. He slows down at my house.
Before the motorcycle stops, I slide off, and run into my yard. Craven and the gang give me the weird assurance of, “We’ll be watching over you.” The motorcycle engines echo into the distance.
I slump and lean against the porch beam, inhaling the aroma of dinner coming from the house. “Demons for guardian angels.” I shake my hair out. “Karma’s going to love this.”
Another motorcycle pulls up to the curb. Jerald kills the engine. Before I can ponder his intentions for coming to my house or how he even knew where I live, his arms crush me, and I sink into his embrace.
“I thought I’d lost you the other night. The Goblin King didn’t hurt you, did he?” Jerald releases me and strokes my neck. He stops when his fingers touch metal. “Where did this come from?”
I remember Herald’s instructions and threats. “I’m not sure. It was on my neck when I woke up this morning. I can’t take it off. Can you?”
Jerald inspects the necklace. “I don’t see any latches. Maybe we should ask Herald. He’s better at working with metal than I am.”
“No!” My cheeks warm. “I mean, I don’t want to bother your brother about it. It’s not that important, besides, it’s kinda pretty.”
Jerald grins and leans in. “You enhance it.”
Feeling my face burn more, I move past Jerald. “So what are you doing today?”
“Hunting you.”
“You found me, so now what?”
Jerald positions himself behind me, as I gaze out over the yard. “Now I have to figure out what I’m going to do with you.”
“Do we have to dance at the Halloween Masked Ball? Like the waltz?”
“Of course. Is there something worrying you?”
“Yes.” I stare over my shoulder to capture Jerald’s eye. “I don’t have a clue on how to do any of those dances. I can belly dance, but that’s not going to do me any good at a ball.”
Jerald loops my arm in his. “Dance lessons it is.”
Chapter Eight
Auditions & Accusations
Thanks to Jerald, my weekend ends up giving me a little relaxation. Sunlight beams in through my bedroom window on Monday morning; stirring me from my imaginary nightmares. A real nightmare will happen in two hours. The audition. I would rather be lost in the woods again. Even kissing Herald, as repulsive as he is, would be more of an enjoyable task than singing on stage again.
Standing before the wardrobe mirror, I scrutinize my long hair outlining my body like a black veil. Flicking my black hair out of the way, I gather my white hair. The goblins know I can see them, so why hide anymore? The medicine I need to move on from my traumatic past, seems so simple. I need Beautiful Temptation. The idea gives me a bud of hope. Hope to attain true happiness.
I march over to one of my packed boxes and stoop down. My hands are trembling as I open the bent box. Pictures of old friends and my parents, smile in the photographs. The picture of my deceased parents causes a tear to escape. I heave the box away and bust another box open. This holds my barely used perfumes I adored before the accident. I shuffle through trinkets, lotions, and then squint at the bottom of the box. “Wicked luck.” Picking up the hair-color remover kit, I abandon the disorganized box. As I amble into the bathroom, I pray that Herald’s lust for me will vanish once I become Beautiful Temptation.
I take my time to bleach out the silky blackness. After internal arguing, I decide to take out my plum contacts. Beautiful lime-green eyes blink out of the mirror. I return to the bath and rinse out the chemical scent. Once all the black dye trickles down the drain so only my white hair remains, I wrap my hair up in a towel, and exit the bathroom. Grasping the wardrobe knob with my newly polished French-tipped nails, I yank the doors open. The wine-colored opera dress from the tragic night last Halloween glitters. Brushing my fingertips across the fabrics hanging up, I halt at a bubblegum pink skirt with a distinct India print bordering the hem. With my help, it slides off the hanger, and into my awaiting hands. The towel slides from my body and I toss it in a corner. Pulling on a pair of panties, bra, and the skirt, I select a golden shirt to compliment the skirt. Satisfied with my reflection, I return to the bathroom to finish putting on
my make-up and drying my new hair.
There are certain things I realize I do not want to change. I really love the henna tattoos and the bindi tattoo on my forehead. With my white hair and green eyes from my father’s side, and tan skin from my mother’s side, I retain a strange beauty. I understand it is okay to have an edge – to become a mixture of Dark and Beautiful Temptation.
Thirty minutes later, I skip down the stairs and enter the kitchen.
“It’s about time Tempta–” Aunt Sally’s mouth drops in shock. “–tion.”
“You look wonderful, Sweetheart!” Uncle Jack says from the breakfast table. “You’re the old Temptation I’ve been missing. O’course you didn’t used to wear the tattoos, but at least there’s some color back in your life.”
“Oh!” Aunt Sally nearly pounces on me, breaking down into sobs on my shoulder. “We can finally start being a normal family.”
“Thank God,” Daniel says from the table. “It’s about time you did something with your skunk-colored hair–”
“Daniel.” Uncle Jack frowns at his son.
I am happy I made the change, but now reality hits. It hits hard. Normal. They want me to forget my parents. Pretend everything is fine.
“Sit down and eat. You need to be ready for your audition.” Aunt Sally scurries around the kitchen.
The welcoming scent of coffee fills my nostrils. “But how did you know about the auditions?”
“Everyone in town can’t shut up about it, with you being an award-winning singer; you shouldn’t have a hard time.”
“Now, Dear. The Blares’ daughter is pretty good from what I’ve heard–”
“What are you going to sing?” Nathaniel asks. A glob of purplish jelly outlines his mouth.
“I-I haven’t decided yet. I might go with one I wrote.” I prod my eggs around my Greek-printed plate. I do not feel like eating.
Aunt Sally sets a mug of hot coffee down in front of me.
I smile and take a sip of the warm liquid. It used to be a routine of mine to have coffee every morning before rehearsals. For a moment, I allow myself the fantasy of my parents’ encouraging me for my tryouts.
****
Thirty minutes later, I arrive at school. No students roam the grounds of the high school because they are assembling to watch the tryouts for the Mask Ball’s lead singer. A deep breath and I exit the car. Every breath I create expels more and more of my courage. My emotions are becoming more hollow, the closer I march to the school auditorium. Out of the building echoes a beautiful voice singing a choir song.
I descend through the doors and enter the packed auditorium. A girl vacates the stage with a light flush on her pimpled cheeks. Victoria sashays to the lighted podium. The band behind her strikes a pop-style song and she starts to sing.
Crap, she is good.
Really good.
Across the crowd, Whelan cheers Victoria on from the first row, while the Jenkins twins look mildly interested from the side of the room.
“Temptation! There you are. I barely recognize you with white hair.” Mrs. Peters snatches my elbow. “Follow me to the side of the stage; everyone’s been waiting for you!”
Part of my arm goes numb from Mrs. Peters' grasp. The old woman kills the stereotype of frailty and weakness. “I haven’t figured out what I’m going to sing yet–”
“Sing the song you were singing at the opera house.” Mrs. Peters stops at the stairs leading to the stage.
I pause. “You mean, Alice Demented? I don’t know if it’s a good id–”
“Nonsense, Dearie. The house band already knows the basic tune. They’ll follow along with you when you play the piano.”
“How could they? No one knows my song, but you.”
Mrs. Peters barks out a few orders to the stage help, ignoring my inquisitive stare. Victoria ends and the crowd cheers. My joints stiffen.
Mrs. Peters grabs my schoolbag from me. “You’re up, Dearie. Knock ‘em dead!”
I try to force a smile, but the muscles in my face freeze. The faces of my parents flash before my eyes, making my throat constrict. I climb the stairs and enter the brightly lit stage. Shocked whispers break out across the auditorium as soon as the spotlight illuminates my face. One nice thing about those bright lights is I cannot see the crowd. The piano’s ivory keys shine a variety of colors from the stage lights. I take a seat on the polished bench. Fingers bent on the colorless keys, I exhale, and begin the mournful tune to Alice Demented. The band picks up the tune and, for the first time, my song comes to life.
“Alice is so sweet and true;
Dressed up in both white and blue.
She takes some pills to make her dream,
While still awake or so it seems.”
Memories begin to swirl…downing the pills until sweet sleep comforts me. Then red lights are mesmerizing me. So many red lights are flashing and screaming into my soul and mixing with the cries of the medics.
The music pauses for three seconds and then the drums and electric guitar create a loud dooming rock melody which intensifies my opera vocal style.
“Save her if you can,
In darkness, she fades.
Alice in wonderland,
She dreams away.
She’s shackled in these chains,
She can’t escape.
Short life at hand,
The pills are laced.”
The past voice of Uncle Jack still haunts my memory. “How could you, Temptation? It’s a miracle you survived death the first time, but a second time! I’ve lost my brother and sister-in-law, why would you make me go through losing you, again?”
The music calms again, morphing into a depressing lullaby.
“Creatures around her begin to move,
Gazing ravenously at her, too.
They make such gruesome, gibberish talk,
As they move near her to stalk.”
Terrifying creatures latch onto my ankles and drag me from the car as it bursts into flames. I am dead for five minutes.
The pounding drums match my heartbeats.
“Save her if you can,
In darkness, she fades.”
I continue with the chorus, oblivious to the deathly silence in the auditorium. A past memory emerges in the shape of my parents, when the doctors cannot revive them.
“Alice shrieks into the night,
Fleeing from that fearful sight.
With raging eyes and gleaming fangs,
The white rabbit times their fun and games.”
“Time of death, eight-forty-five,” the doctor in the pristine white coat says, and the little goblin gripping his scrub-pants grins. I cannot take it.
My voice and the music intensify as I hit the climax of the song.
“Follow me,
Until you see,
This twisted life of reality.
All that’s real,
Is now gone.
Nightmares roam for the deed is done.”
The music slows from a climatic tone into a depressing one. Tears burn my eyes. My parents are gone. Forever.
“The Queen is coming for the dead.
Hurry now or lose your head.
Lost in darkness,
She who dwells–
Longs for death; no more to tell.”
Hot tears roll down my cheeks. For the first time, since the death of my parents, I mourn. My sorrow bleeds through my music.
“Save her if you can,
In darkness, she fades…”
Ending the song, I flinch as the crowd erupts in encoring cheers. My arms fall from the piano and I try to stop the tears. The piano bench shakes as I abandon my seat and rush to the stage exit.
Mrs. Peters calls my name over and over, but I keep running.
Pain never registers in my brain as I slam my body against the metal door, forsaking Rosewood High. I think I hear Daniel’s shouts not to do it again, but I do not care anymore. I thought I could handle the audition. How wrong I had been. Grief consum
es my every thought. I desire an ending.
Gray clouds paint the sky, while the wind picks up. My white hair fans out behind me like angel wings.
The theater house is four stories.
It should be tall enough.
I can see the mansion’s towers down the street. No cars block the roads. During the auditions, Rosewood became a ghost town. I cross the street. A roar of motorcycle engines fast approaches me from behind.
The Jenkins twins skid their bikes to a halt in front of the theater house; blocking me from running, any further. Jerald launches himself off his bike and snatches me up into a battling embrace.
“Let me go–” My tears fall on Jerald’s shoulders. “I want to die!”
Jerald does not stop me from beating his chest. Instead, he holds me close, listening to my heartbroken sobs.
I finally given up trying to fight him off and instead, wrap my arms around his shoulders. Aware of his fingers stroking my long hair, I do not mind. My cries soften. My heart does not feel so heavy anymore. My mind no longer suffers to fight back reality.
Herald breaks the silence when a crowd of voices near the theater house. “I’ll go tell them to leave. Mrs. Peters needs to know Temptation will be singing this year.” He swings a leg back over the motorcycle and rides off in the direction of school.
“I don’t know if I’m going to be able to do it again.” I pull my face away from Jerald’s chest. Common sense replaces my jumble of emotions. Mortified at how I just acted in front of the entire school and in front of Jerald, I keep my gaze on the ground. After my show of weakness, I do not know how I am going to stand up to Herald.
Jerald caresses my cheek with one hand and lifts my chin. “You need to let it go, Temptation. Your music is intoxicating. Not even Victoria could make me feel like that.”
I search his glowing violet eyes. My heart flutters. Seeing his beaming face in the daylight with those gorgeous violet eyes amazes me more than the Seven Wonders of the World ever could. “Make you feel like what?”
Jerald grins. “Human. Alive in a way I’ve never been.” He tugs me closer, stroking the white strands of my hair. “In love.”